


Second Chances

by Raine_Wynd



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Implied Relationships, references to inappropriate behavior with a child by an adult
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-24
Updated: 2014-02-24
Packaged: 2018-01-13 14:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1229842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raine_Wynd/pseuds/Raine_Wynd
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Chuck doesn't get into Striker Eureka that last time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Chances

This is the second worst nightmare Chuck has ever lived through. The first would always be when Scissure hit Sydney. This…this was not how he wanted to end his time in a jaeger. The kaiju’s EMP had left him twitching, still, and the medics had determined he’d basically been electrocuted, and now he had a massive, blinding migraine headache. He could barely keep his eyes open. Unless they found another two pilots, Striker Eureka was dead in the water, since Herc’s arm was broken.

Still, it’s not the first time he’s piloted while hurt, and so he takes the barest minimum of painkillers, and heads to the drivesuit room to suit up. His grip on Max tightens when he sees who’s standing there, changing out of an orange prison jumpsuit into the drivesuit’s high-tech spandex underlayers, PPDC guards nervously watching.

"Uncle Scott," Chuck says, half in disbelief, half in awe. He hasn’t seen his uncle in years - not since the last time Scott and Herc piloted Lucky Seven. How Herc managed to keep this tidbit a secret’s not a surprise; Chuck knew his father was capable of a mental discipline borne out of Drifting with countless others.

Scott looks rough, like he’s spent the last several years doing nothing but getting clean and sober the hard way and living on jail rations, but he has the muscle tone of a jaeger pilot, as if that was all he could do. Maybe it was. Some things were hard to let go, especially if you were a Hansen.

"Wanted to come say hi sooner," Scott says. "The marshal brought me in as a safety, in case he couldn’t convince Raleigh Becket to come back."

"So why didn’t you?" Chuck demands.

"Marshal’s orders," Scott replies as he stands still for the armor plating to be put on. He waits for the spine to be screwed in before he turns back to his nephew. "And I didn’t want to upset your father any more than I already have by being here."

Chuck knows that his uncle is no one’s poster child for perfect. Even before he became a jaeger pilot, Chuck remembers being left in his uncle’s care and how Scott had taught him poker and pool and what the inside of a shady dive bar on a Friday evening looked like, until Chuck had told his mom just where his uncle had taken him. That had been the end of letting Scott around Chuck unsupervised. To know that fame had turned his uncle into someone capable of attempted murder had been even more fuel for Chuck’s drive to be the best, so that people would forget about the Hansen who fucked up.

As the last bolt of Scott’s drivesuit is screwed in, Chuck realizes that for Scott, this run’s a suicide mission. It was one from the start, Chuck thinks with dawning horror, especially given the size of the kaiju they’d just faced and the tactics the kaiju had used. “Who’s piloting with you?” Chuck demands now.

"The marshal," Scott says. "We drifted before, a long time ago. Hope he doesn’t mind my brain’s a little more filled with holes than it used to be." Scott steps closer, helmet in hand, but he stops when one of the guards warns him, "No closer."

Scott offers Chuck a wan smile. “Guess this means I don’t get a hug goodbye.”

"Guess not," Chuck replies. He doesn’t hate the man as much as he hates what he did; murder's what the official press release said, but Chuck knows the truth's much worse than 'conduct unbecoming of a jaeger pilot' and 'attempted murder of a copilot while in a jaeger.' "If you’re looking for forgiveness -"

Scott shakes his head. “I know I burned that bridge a long time ago with you. You were five years old and telling me I was mean and you didn’t like me anymore. You held to that, like I couldn’t ever be good enough again. Maybe…” He took a deep breath. “Maybe this time’s enough for both of us.”

Chuck studied him a moment. “I’ll walk with you to the conn-pod elevator. Dad’ll be with the marshal.”

Scott half-smiled, understanding it was as much forgiveness as Chuck could give. “Herc ever admit to that relationship?” he asked as they both studiously ignored the contingent of PPDC security that followed them.

Now it was Chuck’s turn to smile. “What kid wants to see that in the Drift?”

Scott chuckled. “No more than a brother does.” He doesn't reach out, keeping an arm's length distance between them to keep the PPDC security happy, but Chuck feels as if his uncle was still trying to hug him, still trying to be the 'cool' uncle full of gifts and jokes and fun, and for once, it doesn't grate as being too much.

* * *

The mission to the Breach is every bit of a nightmare scenario Chuck imagined it would be, but from his position in LOCCENT, he admires Raleigh’s calm and Mako’s determination. Stacker and Scott detonate the bomb early, attempting to clear a path for Gipsy Danger, and Scott’s last words are exactly what Chuck would expect to say himself: “It’s been a pleasure, sir.” 

To everyone’s amazement and relief, Raleigh and Mako do the impossible, following the scientists’ hastily added instructions, and Mako’s pod surfaces first, followed by Raleigh. They’ve done it; the Breach is sealed. Chuck silently swears to himself he won't make bad jokes about rookie pilots and has-beens again, at least not to Mako or Raleigh; watching them fight against those three kaiju had ratcheted up his appreciation of their combined strength.

Herc turns to Chuck after the initial celebration’s died down. “I never told you -“

"Half the shit I already know through the Drift," Chuck finishes, wanting to avoid the emotional breakdown he can see coming. "If it wasn’t Uncle Scott, it would be me and you’d hate that you put me in that jaeger, after all that you did to save me, try to raise me right. Might even decide it wasn't worth sticking around for, if it was me that blew up." Chuck shakes his head and tries to keep his eyes from tearing up, because after everything, he still loves his family and knows his father tried his best to keep him safe. "You’re gonna need me to tell those suits and ties where to shove their gratitude, because you can’t. You’re the marshal now."

Herc stares at his son a moment before barking out a rueful laugh and drawing him in for a quick hug with his good arm. “Come on, let’s go meet Mako and Raleigh, make sure they haven’t drunk all the good beer yet.”


End file.
